to lunch."

The colour started into Matilda's face.

"If I could," she said,--"I would like, if you liked it,--if Norton
could go with me again,--I would like _very_ much, to go and see Maria."

"Maria!" said Mrs. Laval. "At Poughkeepsie. Certainly. You shall
go--let me see, this is Monday,--Norton shall take you Thursday. You
must try and find something to take to Maria that she would like. What
would she like?"

Mrs. Laval was drawing out her purse. Matilda, in a flush of delight,
could not think what Maria would like; so Mrs. Laval gave her five
dollars and bade her come to her for more if she needed it.

Five dollars to buy Maria a present! Matilda went down to luncheon with
her head and her heart so full that she could hardly eat What should
the present be? and what a beginning of beautiful and delightful things
was this. She was as still as a mouse, and eat about as much. Mrs.
Laval and Norton were full of business.

"How soon do we go to town, mamma?"

"As soon as possible! You ought to be going to school. But--what day is
it to-day?"

"Monday, mamma."

"No, no; I mean what day of the month. It is the middle of November,
and past. I can't go till the beginning of next month."

"Soon enough," said Norton. "Mamma, is Pink to go to school?"

Mrs. Laval looked at Matilda, smiled, but made no answer.

"Mamma, let me teach her."

"You?" said Mrs. Laval. "We will see."

"There's another thing. Mamma, is she to have an allowance?"

"Certainly."

"How much, mamma?"

"As much as you have."

"Then she'll be rich," said Norton. "She hasn't got boots to buy. My
boots eat up my money."

"I am afraid Matilda's boots will be quite as troublesome to her. Don't
you think she will want boots?"

"Girls' boots don't cost so much, do they?"

"It depends on where you get them."

"Mamma, Pink will not get her boots where you get yours, unless you
give her the direction very carefully. She will think she must save the
money for Lilac lane. You must take care of her, mamma; or she will
think she ought to take a whole district on her hands, and a special
block of old women."

Mrs. Laval again looked fondly at Matilda, and put a delicate bit on
her plate, observing that she was not eating anything.

"You are to take her to Poughkeepsie Thursday, Norton, to see her
sister."

"That's jolly," said Norton. "I want to be in Poughkeepsie, to see
about some business of my own. We'll go to Blodgett's, Pink, and ch